2 Held In Executive's Killing

Baltimore homicide investigators today arrested two men and charged them in the fatal shooting last week of Aaron Samuel Levenson, 30, vice president of Royal Furniture Co. in southwest Baltimore.

Charged at the Southwestern District police station were Jeffrey Lloyd Johnson, 26, of the 2800 block of Presstman St. in the city, and Marc Sean Howell, 20, of the 6400 block of Woodgreen Court in Woodlawn. Both men have been charged with first-degree murder, attempted robbery and felony handgun violations.

According to investigators, who had been working around the clock on the case, Howell was arrested at work early today. He works at Ms. Desserts, a company that makes pastries and other items, in the 2200 block of Lord Baltimore Drive in Woodlawn.

Johnson also works at Ms. Desserts. He was arrested as he came out of his house at 5:30 a.m.

Freddie Magwood, personnel manager for the company, said both men had worked in maintenance at the store for less than two months.

Magwood said employees were surprised by the arrests. She called Johnson "quiet and mannerly" and Howell "very likable and personable."

The shooting occurred about 8 a.m. Thursday near the furniture store in the 500 block of S. Monroe St. Levenson was shot once in the abdomen and twice in the back with a 9mm semiautomatic handgun.

Investigators declined to say specifically what led them to the two suspects. But they said the arrests resulted directly from an anonymous tip received the day of the shooting received by Metro Crime Stoppers.

Police said they thought robbery was the motive in the shooting, though they initially said they suspected that a former employee may have been trying to get back at Levenson. They later discounted that theory.

Two money bags that were found on the ground next to Levenson's body had originally been under the victim, police said. Medics probably exposed the bags when they first arrived at the scene and moved the victim's body, police said.

Police said the assailants might have been aware of Levenson's morning routine and were waiting for him in a parking lot across the street from his family's furniture store.

Police have recovered a 1985 Nissan Pulsar, which is believed to have been the getaway car. It was found today in Woodlawn in Ms. Desserts parking lot.

Police said Howell had been driving the car but that it was not registered to him. Information on who owned the car was not available.